A Harmonic Balancer Question
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Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Tillamook, Or.
A Harmonic Balancer Question
Howdy all
I got fed up with chasing bad threads on the front cover of my 7.3 so I ordered a new one from Brattain in Salem, OR. Then after I ran a tap through the weld nuts because the new one was screwed up too, I now have the front cover back on the truck with a water pump torqued to spec. and the sealers curing. New coolant in the morning, hopefully restart before noon.
But, while I had things torn down I decided a had better take a close look at things since whoever worked on this truck in the past either broke or twisted just about everthing they touched. The harmonic balancer off of this truck doesn't look quite right so I'm wondering if anybody knows how much variation they can tolerate.
If I set the balancer on a table with the light behind me and slowly roll it, there is a couple places where the shoulder between the inner steel ring to the rubber insert drifts away to zero. It has the apprearance of having been pulled with a large puller instead of a Harmonic Balancer puller.
So my question is this: How much can this part vary before it causes problems with the motor? If I can avoid spending $100 I will, but not if it is going to cost me an engine in 6 months.
Any input appreciated.
Best.
Ron
Go Colts!!!!!!!!
I got fed up with chasing bad threads on the front cover of my 7.3 so I ordered a new one from Brattain in Salem, OR. Then after I ran a tap through the weld nuts because the new one was screwed up too, I now have the front cover back on the truck with a water pump torqued to spec. and the sealers curing. New coolant in the morning, hopefully restart before noon.
But, while I had things torn down I decided a had better take a close look at things since whoever worked on this truck in the past either broke or twisted just about everthing they touched. The harmonic balancer off of this truck doesn't look quite right so I'm wondering if anybody knows how much variation they can tolerate.
If I set the balancer on a table with the light behind me and slowly roll it, there is a couple places where the shoulder between the inner steel ring to the rubber insert drifts away to zero. It has the apprearance of having been pulled with a large puller instead of a Harmonic Balancer puller.
So my question is this: How much can this part vary before it causes problems with the motor? If I can avoid spending $100 I will, but not if it is going to cost me an engine in 6 months.
Any input appreciated.
Best.
Ron
Go Colts!!!!!!!!
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From: Tillamook, Or.
No Doubt
The thing I don't want to happen is for it to take the crank out the bottom of the engine, the torque converter through the floor board, the tranny input shaft throught the tranny housing, or any of the other fine messes that could occur.
Kind of a "Mess on steroids" scenario. You know, the kind where you start laying down $100 bills and it never seems to end. Then you remember that for $100 you could have bought one part and avoided the whole mess.
I guess that I'm running a bit gun shy,this truck has spent more time broken than running. The thing is that every time it breaks I find some stupid thing that the P.O. paid a "Mechanic" to do.
S**t I just want to drive my truck.
Ron
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Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Faibanks Ak.
The 6.9 and 7.3 never had a crank problem that I know of, but I think you know what to do here. A bad balancer can break any crank. Cats had a major problem and some aftermarket balancers have hit the market because of it.
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From: Tillamook, Or.
Run Out Spec?
Just bumping this back to the top to see if anybody knows the runout spec for the harmonic balancer on the 7.3.
Ron
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With the age and a known problem of them slipping on the inner hub, I'd really consider finding a better one at the least if not a new one. I've heard of people having trouble timing there IDI because of a slipped balancer.
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